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Monday, December 16, 2024

Georgia & Armenia 2024 Day Day 7: Tbilisi To Stepantsminda

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AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures

Georgia-Armenia 2024 Day 7: Tbilisi To Stepantsminda

Georgia-Armenia 2024 Day 7 : 23rd September (Monday)

Group (Non-cycling) Tour of Georgia & Armenia:
Day 7 - Tbilisi to Stepantsminda:

Tbilisi (Boutique Hotel Manufactura)>Jvari Monastery>Zhinvali Reservoir>Ananuri Fortress>Gudauri>Stepantsminda (Hotel Kazbegi 1963).

This is page 7 of a 14-page blog, Click Here To Go To Title Page.

< D6: Telavi/Sighnaghi | Go to Other Days | D8: Stepantsminda:Trinity Church >

Route recommendations, here're some tips on travelling in and around Tbilisi (Georgia):

1. Traffic Directions!

Driving in Georgia is left-hand drive, with a speed limit of 60 km/h in cities and towns, and 80 km/h in other areas unless indicated otherwise. Armenia is also left-hand drive, so in both Georgia and Armenia drive/cycle on the right.

2. Immigration & Customs Requirements

For Georgia, citizens of Malaysia do not need a visa to enter for travel purposes and can stay in the country for 365 days without a visa. The travel passport must be valid throughout the whole period of stay in Georgia. A blank page is necessary for an entry stamp. Click here for a list of countries that need visa entry. Click here for the Georgia E-visa application portal and click here for guidelines on the E-visa application which costs USD20 (30 days validity).

For both countries, after clearing immigration, one will have to go through customs. We had to carry our luggage personally through. They are green lanes for those with nothing to declare; for duty-free good exemption, click here for Georgia's regulations, and here for Armenia's. Our vans had to go through the vehicles' lanes.

For those bringing in personal medication (up to 31 days usage) into Georgia, do get a prescription from your doctor; click here for guidelines.

3. Getting to and around Georgia & Armenia.

Major airlines serve both Georgia & Armenia. We flew from KLIA Terminal 1 into and out of Shota Rustaveli Tbilisi International Airport via Qatar Airways, with transit at Doha. It would have been time-saving into Armenia via Yerevan's Zvartnots International Airport; but we naively erred on the side of caution. Our airfares were bought during the MATA Travel Fair via promotions by the RHB Debit Card, the return fare cost us between MYR 2,800 to 3,200.
We got around both countries by using a local long-chassis Mercedes Sprinter Van with an extended rear luggage section for the 16 of us, and a Mercedes V-Class 7-seater van for another four of us who enlisted later. The rides were generally comfortable as most were on tarred roads with some stretches of gravel roads.
For harsher rides we used smaller local vans with drivers familiar to the rougher, steeper roads - this was to the Gergeti Trinity Church, Ushguli Village, Koruldi Lakes and Chalaadi Glacier.

There were a couple of free days to explore Tbilisi by ourselves, but it is possible to use the Uber Georgia app to get further around. Other ride-hailing alternatives are Bolt, Yandex and Taxi Maxim.

4. Places & Things of Interest

Enroute were several places of interest, some of which we visited and others we did not for lack of time (Note: click on GPS coordinates for a directional map to respective places):
a. Bank of Georgia HQ Building (საქართველოს ბანკის სათავო ოფისი) (GPS: 41.73586, 44.77087) with its unique structural design.
b. Jvari Monastery (მცხეთის ჯვარი) (GPS: 41.83852, 44.73323).
c. Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (სვეტიცხოვლის საკათედრო ტაძარი) (GPS: 41.84222, 44.72095).
d. Zhinvali Reservoir viewed from the Zhinvali Reservoir Viewpoint (ჟინვალის წყალსაცავის პანორამა) (GPS: 42.14562, 44.76500).
e. Zhinvali" I ❤️️ Georgia" Sign (GPS: 42.14464, 44.76601).
f. Zhinvali Souvenir Shops (GPS: 42.14565, 44.76457).

g. Viewpoint of Ananuri Fortress at Bridge (GPS: 42.16234, 44.70214) over the Arkala River.

g. Ananuri Fortress (ანანურის ციხე) (GPS: 42.16381, 44.70298) a UNESCO Heritage Site.
h. Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (ღვთისმშობლის მიძინების ეკლესია) (GPS: 42.16376, 44.70321).
i. Aragvi River Foot Bridge (GPS: 42.22866, 44.67327).
j. Georgia-Russia Friendship Monument (GPS: 42.49199, 44.45264).
k. Gudauri Great Viewpoints (GPS: 42.49362, 44.45208).

l. Jvari Pass (უღ. ჯვარი) (GPS: 42.50508, 44.45412).

m. Scenic view of Mount Kazbek (GPS: 42.69722, 44.51491) from the Hotel Kazbegi 1963 (GPS: 42.65766, 44.64758).
n. Gergeti Trinity Church (გერგეტის სამება) (GPS: 42.66220, 44.62025).

5. Food

a. Breakfast:

An excellent inclusive Western/Georgian Fare at the Boutique Hotel Manufactura (GPS: 41.69014, 44.81479) in Tbilisi.
b. Lunch:
Georgian Fare at the Gorda Restaurant (GPS: 42.25167, 44.67718) along the Aragvi River:

Salad, Plovana Bread (infill with spinach and herbs), Kinkali Dumplings (pork & mushrooms), Ojakhuri Pork, & Pomegranate Wine.

c. Dinner:

Rustic Georgian Fare at BeBa Bar (GPS: 42.65694, 44.64215) at Stepantsminda:
Mushroom in Ketsi, Chakhokhbili (stewed chicken & tomato in fresh herbs), Sshkmeruli, Nigvziani Badrijani (Eggplant with Walnut), Adjarian Khachapuri, Megrelian Khachapuri, Fruit Tea & Beer.

6. Accommodations

First of two nights at Hotel Kazbegi 1963 (GPS: 42.65766, 44.64758). The alternate hotel for the second group was Ketino's Home. This cost was included in the overall ground arrangements.

7. Tour Costs & Arrangements

Return air tickets bought during the MATA Travel Fair/RHB Debit Card promotions were between MYR 2,800 to 3,200.

The ground arrangements tour package included a 10-passenger van to take us around, starting from & returning to Tbilisi. It also included 3-star hotels/homestays. The charge per pax for this ground arrangement was at MYR7,400. This excluded meals (other than hotel breakfasts & 3 dinners at Mestia), airport transfers, most entry tickets and tips. This allows for individuals to have meals according to their own liking & budget. Allow per meal should be adequate.

On average, the overall tour cost worked out to be around RM950 to RM1,000 per day. For those interested in this tour, contact Eddie at +6012-6122600 for more details and updated costs.

For out-of-pocket spending, we exchange some Georgian Lari (GEL) and Armenian Dram (AMD) in the respective countries. Some brought along their Wise debit cards to use; one can pre-load the card with the local currency. Or let it auto-deduct the currencies existing in the card. We found that it deducted other currencies first before deducting Malaysian Ringgit.

8. Communicating with Each Other

When travelling in a group it's important to be able to communicate with each other, especially if one gets lost from the rest. Georgia pre-paid sim cards are easily available and cost 5 GEL to 20 GEL, depending on the provider and the included benefits. While Armenian pre-paid SIM cards range from AMD 1000 to AMD 3000. Those in our tour group pre-ordered their SIM cards through our Georgian guide.

Those who use Maxis as their telco can purchase the Maxis Roaming Pass. The RM89 15-day Multi-country Roaming Pass covers many countries including Georgia, Armenia and Qatar.
The Pass can be bought before the trip with a designated starting time/date, BUT DO TURN OFF your data roaming just before the Roaming Pass expires OTHERWISE any subsequent usage will automatically trigger off the 1-Day Roaming Pass costing between RM29 to RM38 per day!

9. Communicating with Locals

At favourite tourist destinations, locals may speak fairly good English. In the smaller towns, locals speak some rudimentary English, and our local guide was most helpful in translating for us.

10. Weather

The average day and night temperatures at Tbilisi was 22°C. While the average day and night temperatures at Stepantsminda were 22°C & 16°C.

Useful weather forecast sites for Georgia & Armenia is AccuWeather. For more detailed weather, including cloud cover and wind speed, use Weatherspark and Ventusky.

11. Navigation

I used MapMyRide to track our routes and stops. Geo-tagging of places of interest was via FaceBook or Google Maps.

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PRELUDE

Yesterday we went on a day tour from Tbilisi to the Kakheti wine region to harvest grapes at vineyards in Telavi, followed by a visit the "Love City" of Sighnaghi.

Today, we say Goodbye again to Tbilisi and head out to the cooler highlands of Gudauri, to spend a couple of days at Stepantsminda.
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DAY 7: TBILISI-STEPANTSMINDA

Guided Group (Non-cycling) Tour of Georgia & Armenia:

Tbilisi (Boutique Hotel Manufactura)>Jvari Monastery>Zhinvali Reservoir>Ananuri Fortress>Gudauri>Stepantsminda (Hotel Kazbegi 1963).

(Click here for the Georgia-Armenia Day 7: Tbilisi-Stepantsminda Route Map)

Most posts below are linked to my Facebook postings during the trip and are embedded here with some comments. (NOTE: Click on respective posts to link to the FB post to read more details. If you can't see the posts, please log out from your Facebook first)

Good Morning From Tbilisi!

While waiting for breakfast to be ready, peeped out onto the street; it was quiet and quite chilly. Inside at the entrance to the breakfast cafe were shelfs of wine, some were from the Teliani Valley which brought back happy memories of yesterdays grape harvesting and wind-drinking outing to Telavi!

Another round of delicious breakfast with a wide buffet range at Boutique Hotel Manufactura. Love their Couscous.

Goodbye Tbilisi!
Heading for Stepantsminda at the Gudauri highlands; going along the left bank of the Kura River. Will be away for almost a week before returning.

Passed by the Bank of Georgia HQ Building, with its unique cantilever design.

11:00am - At the Jvari Monastery, it is a sixth-century Georgian Orthodox monastery near Mtskheta, eastern Georgia.

Jvari is a rare case of an Early Medieval Georgian church that has survived to the present day almost unchanged.

Scenic views from the Jvari Monastery.
Overlooking the city of Mtskheta, where the Mtkvari & Aragvi rivers join to become the Kura River. At the centre can be seen the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral.

Somewhere at the monastery grounds, saw this barrel of Kvass Ale, which brought memories of our 2019 Russia Holiday, where we first tried it. Too bad, this bright yellow barrel was empty and just for show.

1:00pm- At the Zhinvali Reservoir Viewpoint, overlooking the scenic Zhinvali Reservoir. We were blessed with sunny days that brought out the colours of the lake and surrounding superbly.

For the romantics at heart, the Zhinvali" I ❤️️ Georgia" Sign for a loving photo with loved ones!

Around the entrance are the Zhinvali Souvenir Shops, there are nice souvenirs to get, including these Chacha and Anaseuli Vodkha souvenir bottles (which comes in several fruit flavours including pear, peach, etc. There are restrooms nearby for those in need 😊.

We arrived at the Ananuri Fortress, but before entering we took a short walk to the bridge (GPS: 42.16234, 44.70214) over the Arkala River, from there is an excellent Viewpoint of Ananuri Fortress.

At the Ananuri Fortress Complex.
Located on the left bank of the Aragvi River, it dates back to the 17th century and was designed by architect K. Bakhsarashvili.

Artwork at the Withing the fortress is the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary one can find many murals and paintings there.

A couple of the paintings, which are done in the style of the Medieval Period.

Just for the fun of it, we made a quick stop at the Foot Bridge over the Aragvi River .

3:00pm - Late lunch at the Gorda Restaurant where we had Salad, Plovana Flat Bread (infilled with spinach and herbs), Kinkali Dumplings (pork & mushrooms), Ojakhuri Pork, & Pomegranate Wine - which comes with bonus scenic views of the Aragvi River while dining.

The lunch pumped us up full of energy, but would it be enough to pull out King Arthur's Sword from the nearby rock?

As we slowly climbed uphill, the misty atmosphere gave mystical views of Gudauri highlands.
This area is a favourite ski resort.

5:00pm - At the Gorda RestaurantGeorgia-Russia Friendship Monument. It suddenly rained heavily when we arrived, some of us wore our raincoats and braved the rain and strong cold wind to walk over to the monument from the car-park.

It was built in 1983 to celebrate the bicentennial of the Treaty of Georgievsk and the ongoing friendship between Soviet Georgia and Soviet Russia. Inside the monument is a large tile mural that spans the whole circumference of the structure and depicts scenes of Georgian and Russian history.

Snow-capped mountains viewed from the Jvari Pass.

Doesn't this guy look handsome?... Peewit 😂😆 at Gudauri highlands.
A bit of "syiok sendiri" (ego trip) here. Haha.

5:15pm - We checked into our hotel, Hotel Kazbegi 1963 and quickly dropped our luggage into our rooms (which are located on the first floor), to go out to the large front balcony for .....

..... a great scenic view of snow-capped Mount Kazbek, with the serene village at its foothills. On the left hilltop can be seen the Gergeti Trinity Church.

On our walk to dinner, the sun was setting beautifully behind dark brown rocky hills.

But after that, we had a little adventure trudging through gravel/muddy roads to reach our dinner destination - BeBa Bar. But it was a worthwhile journey as this restaurant served one of the best food in town! And Auntie Beba herself the following good recommendations:
Mushroom in Ketsi, Chakhokhbili (stewed chicken & tomato in fresh herbs), Sshkmeruli, Nigvziani Badrijani (Eggplant with Walnut), Adjarian Khachapuri, Megrelian Khachapuri, Fruit Tea & Beer.